Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bundaberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Bundaberg: $2,083 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Bundaberg
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Bundaberg Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Bundaberg

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bundaberg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Bundaberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $2,083 in Bundaberg, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Bundaberg $2,083

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $3,117 in Bundaberg, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Bundaberg $3,117

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $4,151 in Bundaberg, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Bundaberg $4,151

Melbourne costs about 35% more than Bundaberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Bundaberg sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Bundaberg by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$15.20 A$21.87

14.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$68.3 A$98.2

23.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$10.58 A$15.22

17.77%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.81 A$5.48

7.87%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.22 A$3.19

37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.29 A$3.30

10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$7.61 A$10.96

28.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$8.08 A$11.62

6.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.04 A$2.93

-27.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.44 A$3.51

20.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$3.16 A$4.55

-15.82%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$4.56 A$6.56

21.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$10.08 A$14.51

4.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$9.68 A$13.93

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$22.30 A$32.08

-31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.51 A$5.06

13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.61 A$3.76

15.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.84 A$4.08

9.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$4.26 A$6.12

13.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$3.22 A$4.63

-5.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.43 A$3.50

0.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.05 A$2.95

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$2.57 A$3.70

-36.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$30.58 A$44.01

44.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$12.69 A$18.26

0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$7.62 A$10.96

-27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$5.17 A$7.44

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$2.71 A$3.89

38.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$60.7 A$87.3

126.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.14 A$4.51

43.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.70 A$2.45

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$39.64 A$57.0

-23.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.27 A$1.83

15.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.0K A$41.7K

$27.4K A$39.4K

5.82%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K A$38.1K

$29.8K A$42.9K

-11.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$234 A$336

$140 A$201

67.19%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.93 A$40.19

$27.31 A$39.29

2.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$57.5 A$82.7

-3.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$56.5 A$81.4

-12.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$17.66 A$25.41

21.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$12.71 A$18.28

18.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,371 A$3,412

$2,174 A$3,128

9.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$20.2K A$29.1K

49.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$107 A$154

-25.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$72.9 A$105

-30.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$146 A$210

-17.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$158 A$227

-17.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$861 A$1,240

104.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$790 A$1,137

75.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,638 A$2,357

113.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$1,254 A$1,805

98.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$5,701 A$8,203

21.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$5,490 A$7,899

17.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,833 A$4,076

54.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

-1.67%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bundaberg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Bundaberg

$790 37.9% 43.2% $600

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Bundaberg

$414 19.9% 7.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Bundaberg

$225 10.8% 29.2% $93

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Bundaberg

$271 13% 13.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Bundaberg

$218 10.5% 26.7% $46

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Bundaberg

$83 4% 49.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Bundaberg

$82 3.9% 3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $861 in Bundaberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne versus $68.0 in Bundaberg. Groceries tell a different story – $384 in Melbourne vs $414 in Bundaberg – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Bundaberg

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

52,370

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Melbourne Bundaberg 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Melbourne vs Bundaberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 35% more than Bundaberg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $3,124 in Bundaberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bundaberg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Melbourne – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $68.0 in Bundaberg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bundaberg, where all-in costs run around $2,083, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Bundaberg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bundaberg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bundaberg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.